Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-05-24
mn IslcTIvITT o. ms woLcerT.

/
TuK TsAcTTvITT - THE W0LcoTT.
ina4nofbsE esiamn Wiil Be fossd &
joint intsrTifw With ColIectsT q Gus
toms Brooks nd Deputy CoiIectol
Harmed in regard 10 The long delay Of
the revenue cutter Oliver wolsost IN 10
ina 10 the sssis4auoa Of the crsv Of tbs
St. Stephen or seeking 10 find some
traces Of the wrecked vessel, ss well a.
IN regard - the general indiHsrsEes r.
earding the fate Of AneFicsn seameE
watch seems 10 prevail IN o1isisl circles
on Pa-es Sound. To say that the expla-
nAfi0ns efsrsd By the Collector and his
deputy are pusFils and inadquate,
scarcely expresses the truth. They are
absurd 10 the point Of shildishneas. and
iDtslligsnt men shsoId be ashamed 10
onsr thsm IN pailistion Of . failure In
the performances Of duty which may
havs cost many gallant lives These
intervisvs. 81 least. exoneEsts Cap4aia
Oh over Of the WoIcOtt and place the re-
spOnsibility for the shameful insstiOn Of
The cutter where ID belonRs-in she Gus
tom house.
Collector Brooks first offers the weak
est Of weak excuses. II have never"
says be, been officially notifsd that
the 81. Stephen IL, or has been. in want
Of assistance" And, gray. from whom
does Collector Brooks expect to receive
such Official nosiheatioD2 Does be e1-
poet 10 from the Treasury Department.
Does be expect Q proclamation from
the PRESIDENT Does be expect 10 be
notified BY dusky embassy from The
Indians Of the West Coast Of VAncsuveF
Island ? Whencs and from whom shsald
such q notification conner Il may al
most be said that every man, woman
and chiid on Puget Sound has known
fer weeks that the 81. Stephen vas lost
Ia the dreadful storm Of APRIL. What
became Of Der crew, whether any of
them escaped q watery grave, or whether
any relics of the good ship we're washed
lahore. nobody knows. Perhaps, OH
GERS and Grew were starving and freez-
ing on inbospitable rocks while Oollec-
tor Brooks sat in his comfortable ofiiOe
and waited for an official notification
that the ship was in distress. man
subject to the FIRST impulses Of humani-
~ would have founi his notification in
the vhissline Wind and would have seen
IL in the dashine waves. II Is probable,
indeed, thai the crew Of the 81. Stephen
met instant death, but nobody can say
certainly that this vas 50, and nobody
can say shat crew may be the next to
die from want and exposure while Col
lectoE Brooks waits for On sffioial uoti.
heation that their vessel is in distress.
Truly, the Flying Dutchmau Ct these
seas is rugged with red tape.
But, as IL realizing the absurdity Of
such an excuse IS be has offered,
Collector Brooks adds that be has some
recollection OF hearing of the ST.
Stephen disaster, but that he Was alb
sent from his post at the time. and that
when be returned be supposed the mat
Ter had beea attended 10. OF course,
he WAS not enough interested to msks
the most simple inquiries. He sup
posed that the matter had been attended
TO. and did not trouble himself about it.
However. Deputy Collector Harmed
who was not absent st the time, steps "a
the front 10 explain bis inaetion. He
too, has strip Of red tape with which
90 blindfold bimsslf when his country.
men ere 10 distress. he uotes the
customs regulations, and blandly sayi
that II the cutter had gone to the as
sistance OF the st. Stephen, she might
have iDteSfered With the busisess OF
the tug companies" Such an explsna
ton IL enough to make the blood Of an
ordi mary citizen boil. When q vesse
IL known to be In distress, when hsl
crew are perhaps battling fer their live.
against Wind, wave ana hunger, vhsr
they are peFishinR almost within sight
Of the American coast. the revenue
cutter lying idly 10 the harbor must not
be sent TO their assistance, b. cause she
might interfere with the business OF
the tag companies" Comment on such
AZ explanAtion is snpeTfinous.
Finally, Collector Brooks admits thai
Il is his duty to send the cutter on such
missions as the public service demands
but be pleads that he does not know
much about wrecks, and that be thinks
Captain Glover, or somebody else, ought
20 lock out fer such things. This al
tempt 10 shift the responsibility is a.
puerile as the excuses which the Col
ieet0F offers for his negligence. He
simply thsueht that Captain Gloves
ought 10 look after such matters. He
never instructed him 10 do so-usver
10 fact. discussed the matter in any
way but be thought everything would
go along smoothly in one way or az.
other.
How long is this state Of affairs "a
continued How long are the lives Of
American ssamsn TO be regarded as not
worth savingl How often is the expe
Renee Of The crew Of the Austria 10 b.
repeated : Il Is apparent that eithe,
after Incompetence or criminal nsOii
Rence relgus supreme In the Port Town.
send Custom House. How long IL il te
eontinue
RiElINA's MEXICAN DATGHTER
/ Cas- e ksrios Lsfssr TO lss 81. Louf.
| HspzkirsH.I